Banned busker to dance for Pope Francis
Pope Francis will get a taste of the talents of a soon-to-be banned Galway busker during his visit to Ireland.
Emma O’Sullivan, Galway’s favourite street performer, has been handpicked to dance for the Pontiff at a gig in Dublin on Saturday.
Ms O’Sullivan, an All-Ireland champion Sean-nós dancer from Renvyle in Connemara, is well-known for her set-dancing shows on Mainguard Street in the city outside Tigh Coilí.
New bye-laws to be introduced by Galway City Council, voted on by a majority of elected members in May, will ban the use of amplification and effectively prohibit her from performing on the streets.
Ms O’Sullivan said it was ironic that she was scouted by the producer of the Pope’s gig while she was performing on the city’s streets.
Ruan Mangan, the director of the variety entertainment show that will be performed for the Pope at the Festival of Families in Croke Park, felt Ms O’Sullivan’s street dance routine would fit in with the theme of ‘inclusion’ for the event.
“Ruan was particularly interested in the how children on the street join in with my routine and dance with me. Audience participation will be banned before 6pm under the byelaws so he wouldn’t have seen it if the byelaws were in place,” said Ms O’Sullivan.
■ For more on this story see the print edition of the Connacht Tribune.
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